Egg-case.



J. FRITZ.

EGG CASE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2,1911.

Patented June 4, 1912;

- I Jzdw 1/7132 M JU/Q JULIUS FRITZ,

or PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA.

EGG-CASE.

Specification of Iletters Patent. Patente d June 4, 1912.

Application filed March 2, 1911. Serial No. 611,436.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS FRITZ, citizen of the United States, residing at Petaluma, in the county of Sonoma and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Egg-Gases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in crates, primarily-intended for the shipment of eggs, and the object of the invention is the provision of a crate of this character which is extremely simple in construction and which provides means whereby the cover or closure of the crate will be securely sustained thereon without the employment of hasps and looks or analogous devices requiring keys or great expenditure of labor, and which at the same time provides means whereby the closure may be readily removed after the crate has reached its destination and access is desired.

With the above, and other objects in view which will be more apparent as the nature of the description progresses, the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings there has been illustrated a simple and preferred embodiment of the improvement and in which drawings Figure 1 is a perspective View of a crate constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing a cover in a locked position thereon; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device, the ends of the crate being shown in section; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the closure illustrating the locking wedge in inoperative position.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 1 designates a crate. This crate is of ordinary rectangular formation and its ends 2 project a suitable distance above the sides of the crate. Each of the projecting ends has its inner face formed with integral, rectangular depressions 3, preferably adjacent the longitudinal edges of said crate. The depressions upon one of the ends are preferably of greater length than the depressions upon the opposite ends, the purpose of which will presently be set forth.

The numeral 4 designates a top or closure for the crate. lar formation and is of a length slightly less than that of the crate. The closure 4 has both of its ends provided with cleats 5 This closure is of rectanguand 6 and the said closureis formed below the said cleats withprojecting tongues 7 and 8. The tongue 7 is of a lesser length than the tongue 8 and is adapted to engage within a shallow depression 3 upon one of the sides of the crate, while the opposite depressions 8 are of a greater length and are adapted to be inserted within the deeperdepressions upon the opposite end of the crate. Secured to the cleat 5, adjacent which are the longer tongues of the closure, in one end, is a flattened bowed spring 9, the same having its opposite extremity provided with an elongated locking wedge tank.

When the closure 1 is positioned upon the crate the locking wedge is raised to a position illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings and the tongues 8 are inserted within their openings. This allows the closure 4 to lie flat upon the top of the crate. By moving the closure longitudinally the smaller tongues 7 will engage within their openings, thus leaving a space between the said cleat and the end of the crate. This wedge is of a size sufficient to extend slightly above the cleat 5 and the said wedge under the influence of the spring forces all of the tongues within their depressions. The projecting portion of the locking wedge has a portion of its end wall downwardly and forwardly inclined, forming a finger-hold whereby said wedge may be raised when it is desired to remove the closure 4 from the crate. While the spring is adapted to exert the pressure toward the cleat to which it is attached, it is also adapted to exert a downward pressure so as to normally sustain the locking wedge against one of the tongues of the closure and to prevent the accidental removal of the wedge and closure.

From the above description, the simplicity of the device will, it is thought, commend itself to those skilled in the art to which such inventions appertain, it being noted that the closure constructed as above described can be readily applied to any ordinary crate, the device may be constructed at a minimum cost, and while the same is extremely simple it is thoroughly effective and performs the functions for which it is adapted with ease and accuracy.

I claim- The combination with a crate having recessed end walls, a portion of its end walls extending above the top edges of its side spring carrying at one end thereof a locklng Wedge and having its other end disposed between one of the cleats and the top of the closure, said spring extending transversely of the closure and disposed between v the inner longitudinal face of one of the 10 cleats, and contacting with the inner face of one of the extended end Walls of the crate. In testimony whereof I aflixed signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

. a J ULIUS FRITZ.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM FRI'TZ,

CHAS. MONALLY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

